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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25741693">Power Play</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/HorrorJunkie/pseuds/HorrorJunkie'>HorrorJunkie</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>One Direction (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Asshole Harry, Asshole Louis, Bottom Harry, Bottom Louis, Enemies, Enemies to Friends, Eventual Smut, Friends to Lovers, I hate tags, I'm Bad At Tagging, M/M, Millionaires - Freeform, Music Execs, Rivalry, Shameless Smut, They both share &amp; take turns, Top Harry, Top Louis, powerful men</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 02:41:06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,933</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25741693</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/HorrorJunkie/pseuds/HorrorJunkie</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Louis Tomlinson is a producer for Rogue Records. He came from next to nothing and worked hard to make his way to the top of his business<br/>Harry Styles is a producer for Eroda Entertainment. He came from privilege and wealth and often has to fight harder to prove he has earned his success on his own merit.<br/>Both are rich, handsome and successful men at the top of their fields. They're also fierce rivals with a history who absolutely loathe each other. They've each had their share of success signing and producing for successful artists while also feeling the sting of losing to the other. Now the stakes are higher as they both have to fight to sign the newest music sensation, Niall Horan. Along the way, the each learn more about themselves and each other. Will this be enough for them to overcome their growing feelings? Or will their history and rivalry doom them before they can even begin?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>34</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Dueling Execs</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=%40always.next.to.you.28">@always.next.to.you.28</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Original prompt via @always.next.to.you.28 on Instagram: Two millionaires who are business rivals fall in love.</p><p>I took her prompt and wrote what felt right. Louis &amp; Harry as music execs for different record labels. They're rivals, enemies and determined to ignore the obvious chemistry they have.</p><p>This is very different than my previous work in the One Direction a/b/o verse but I hope you like it.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>Eroda Entertainment signs up and coming artist Ashe to multi-record deal</em>
  </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>Rogue Records announce release of new Lewis Capaldi album</em>
  </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>Taylor Swift releases new surprise music produced by Harry Styles at Eroda Entertainment</em>
  </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>Louis Tomlinson to produce new Adele album for Rogue Records</em>
  </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>Eroda exec Harry Styles seen with Taylor Swift after hours. Is there a new romance going on?</em>
  </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>Louis Tomlinson denies rumors he’s back with his American ex Briana Jungwirth</em>
  </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>Irish sensation Niall Horan contract with Syco set to expire. Rumors fly that he’s meeting with Eroda and Rogue execs in the coming weeks to sign a new deal.</em>
  </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zayn reads the headlines as he thumbs through his iPad and sees how much is being written lately about both Louis and his rival Harry Styles. Louis wasn’t going to be happy about the headlines but he was generally really good about ignoring them. It was the mention of Niall that was going to make him lose his shit completely.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Christ mate. The Sun is really doing a number on you and Styles. They’re really setting up a rivalry aren’t they?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Zayn, why are you reading that shite? I don’t give a flying fuck what The Sun writes.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“First, as one of the main lawyers for the company, it’s my job to be in the loop on what’s gonig on with our talent and our execs. You guys generate just as many headlines as the artists do. Second, you can keep your head buried in the sand but it won’t stop the stories from spreading. They’re letting it be known that we want to sign Horan as does Eroda.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“WHAT?!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Louis stops what he’s doing on his own laptop and stalks over to Zayn, their entertainment lawyer working exclusively for Rogue. He was sitting across from Louis in the conference room before their Monday morning meeting to discuss the events of the day, the weekend and what’s to come. It was a ritual the CEO of Rogue Records insisted on and one they were religious about attending. This is where the big decisions were made and where artists were discussed, images formed and contracts signed. The subject of wooing Niall Horan to Rogue was their #1 priority and the last thing they needed was a goddamn leak ruining all their plans.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That was confidential information! Who the fuck let that leak? Niall knows better than to say anything in the early stages when Simon and his psychos at Syco can fuck it all up. He wants out and wouldn’t jeopardize this for anything. It had to have been that douche Styles. Always playing up to the paps and media. Fucking attention whore.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Louis, I don’t think Harry would have done this. He too has a lot at stake with this leaking to the press. If Eroda is also trying to sign Horan, the last thing they want or need is attention. If it leaked, it was likely someone from his own team. Simon is pissed Niall won’t sign with them again and he’s going to do everything in his power to try and fuck him over. I’ll have Kylie over in PR draft a statement about this. He’ll get it handled. In the meantime, focus on the plan for wooing him over and not getting pissy over Styles. Again.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not getting pissy over him. He’s not worth my time.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uh-huh. And yet every single morning we find ourselves talking about him or rather you talk and bitch and complain and I have to listen. Are you ever going to tell me why you hate him so much?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Louis is saved from answering by the conference room doors opening and others starting to stream in as they get ready for their meeting.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Morning Liam.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Liam looks up from his phone, signaling to Harry that he’d be with him in a moment. Liam worked in A &amp; R aka Artists &amp; Repertoire for Eroda Records. Despite the fancy title, he was a talent scout. It was his job to go to local bars, pubs, clubs, festivals and shows and scout out talent. He’d been the one to find their latest artist Ashe and it was Harry who was producing her debut album. Her first single was already starting to top the charts thanks to Harry. Liam wraps up his call and heaves out a heavy breath. The following conversation was not going to be easy.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Harry, have you seen the headlines today?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Snorting out a laugh, Harry shakes his head at Liam.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’ve known me for how long Liam? You know I don’t bother reading gossip rags.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe it’s time you start paying a bit more attention. Someone let it leak that we’re looking to sign Niall Horan.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There’s a beat of silence as Harry processes the news. Harry is usually very mellow and easy going but when he gets angry, it’s best to avoid him or stay silent. Harry walks over to the large picture window in Liam’s office as he puts his hands behind his back, fists clenching and unclenching as he counts to ten. The last thing he wants to do is take his anger out on Liam who had nothing to do with this but he is fairly sure he knows who was behind the leak.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fucking Tomlinson. That son of a bitch has crossed me one time too many and now he’s gone too far.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As he moves to stalk out of the office, Liam races to stop his friend from doing something he’d later regret.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Harry, whoa. Calm down mate. I’m fairly certain it wasn’t Louis who tipped off the tabloids.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then who Liam? He’s always looking to fuck me over and what better way than to do this? He’s still pissed that I signed Taylor and he missed out.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh for fucks sake Harry. And he signed Adele. What is it with you two? No other producers in this industry are as cutthroat towards each other as you two. It wasn’t Louis. He has too much at stake to let this weird rivalry between the two of you get in the way of business.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Harry is still seething at this news. It was bad that this was leaked. It upped the ante on a record deal for Horan and it put them in a bad position should Niall decide to sign with Rogue. It was bad enough that the press liked to pit him against Tomlinson. Losing Niall would be a blow to his professional career and one he would not and could not tolerate. Despite his success, the industry was fickle. Losing talent like that could set him back. He had to make this right somehow and come up with a plan before he was called in to see the big boss.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to set up a meeting with Niall. Just him and I for a friendly lunch. I’ll keep it casual and informal, just two friends meeting up. I need to pick his brain and see how he’s leaning and what we can do to get him to come to our side.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know what you’re doing. Good luck with that. While you’re at it, I want you to start thinking about your antagonistic attitude towards Louis Tomlinson. I’ve met him a few times and he seems to be a fairly decent bloke. He’s nothing like what you describe. Why do you hate him so much?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rather than answer, Harry leaves Liam’s office and absolutely is not thinking of his rival and enemy as he texts his assistant to set up a lunch with Niall Horan at his earliest convenience.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Louis is struggling to get through his meeting with the CEO of Rogue and the other execs. No one is certain of how the news leaked but the PR team will deal with the fallout from the paps and it’s on Louis’ shoulders to make sure Horan is signed. As the meeting concludes, Louis makes his way to his own office, firing off instructions to his assistant.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Call the studio. Have them ready to go by Wednesday for Adele. She starts recording then. Call Horan’s team and see if he can make the grand opening of Lux. I’ll be there and it will generate buzz if he’s seen with some of our people. Also, set up a meeting with Capaldi’s people and Selena’s. I have the perfect song I think they can do together. And god I hate to do this. Call Zayn. Tell him Briana’s family is seeking press again using my name. It’s time to get this shit settled. I’ve been tolerant long enough.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes sir.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>As his assistant rushes off to do what he asked, he walks to his office and gets busy with the endless emails and phone calls he has to deal with. His only respite is lunch and finally towards the end of his day, a chance to sit down and work on some lyrics for some songs he’s been working on for a while. When the shadows in his office start to lengthen, he looks at his watch and thinks it’s time to call it a day. Maybe hit the gym or get some takeout. He’d had a long day and he was ready to relax. Picking up his belongings, he leaves the office, calling out good nights to those who were still around, mainly the custodial staff and a few eager beavers still working. Though he had a reputation for being a ruthless and unfeeling asshole in the business, Louis was quite well liked by his coworkers and colleagues. He was the type to ask after family members, remember special occasions such as birthdays and anniversaries and he rarely missed a charity event thrown by the causes he believed in. His professional life was going exactly as he had planned it. He was at the top of his game. Even his personal life was solid. He was single, rich, healthy and currently enjoying everything and everyone life had to offer. While he was a fan of commitment and marriage, it just wasn’t in the cards for him at the moment. He rather enjoyed playing the field. As he drove home, the glow of the setting sun and the cool breeze of the ocean lifted his mood. He loved living by the beach. When he had left London to take a risk working in Hollywood, he had suffered through internships, living with four others in a tiny apartment just to make ends meet but his ambition had ensured he didn’t stay at the bottom for long. He’d worked hard and juggled two and sometimes up to three jobs to ensure he would succeed. As he pulled up to the gates of his condo, his happy mood soared. Seeing the sun set over the balcony of his beachfront condo made it all worthwhile. While most in the business took to living in Beverly Hills or the city of Hollywood itself or even downtown Los Angeles, Louis had fallen in love with beachside living. Sure the traffic was a bitch but he didn’t mind it if it meant he had this every single day. Parking his car and going inside, he greets his dog Cliff and makes sure he has plenty of food and water. Then he strips off his clothes, showers and orders from his favorite local place Salt Creek Grille. As he pops open a beer, he sat out shirtless on his balcony and watched the few stragglers on the beach as they started to make their way back to their cars, the pier or the local restaurants and bars nearby. A ping from his cell alerted him to a text from his assistant.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>[Text: Horan confirmed for Lux. Wants to know if you can meet for dinner before? Geisha House @7.]</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Smiling, Louis responds to her in the affirmative. He looks at the time and decides he should go pick up his dinner. Taking a leash out, he calls out for Cliff. They can walk together to get dinner and enjoy the last remnants of pink and blue sky before the stars come out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>What a day! Harry had been working nonstop but now he was finally home. The best way to relax? A good run on the beach. He’d gotten home and changed into shorts and running shoes. He had a shirt but once he worked up a good sweat, he’d rid himself of it as he hit his stride. He ran 2 miles one way and then back home the other 2 miles. As he ran, his mind relaxed and he absolutely refused to think of work. This was his time to put the stress and pressure behind him and focus on positivity and on himself. He knew he could be intense sometimes. He was known to be friendly, cheerful and always up for a good joke but when work got intense, so did he. He could be cold and relentless when he was working. At least that’s how people described him. He preferred to think of himself as focused and determined. He had everything he had ever wanted in the palm of his hand. When he’d graduated from university, he had been offered a position working at Eroda courtesy of a well established family relationship. He knew some would consider him to be pampered and spoiled. He had heard rumblings from others that the only reason he had his position was because of nepotism. He had to work hard to silence the doubters about his abilities. He was ever grateful and appreciative that his family money and connections had given him ample opportunities but despite all that, he had proven himself to be more than just a trust fund baby. He was intelligent and got the job done. And why was he suddenly bringing his own mood down? That was annoying. As he got closer to his home, he stopped his run and switched to calm walking. It would help his cool down so that his body relaxed and eased into the end of his workout. He nears his condo, loving the cool breeze against his overheated and sweaty skin when loud barking is suddenly heard and he’s knocked down by a large black dog. Distantly he hears a curse and something being dropped as he picks himself up. Turning around, his confusion turns to irritation as he stares into the equally irritated eyes of Louis Tomlinson. Neither of them speak before Louis grudgingly forces himself to speak.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry about Cliff. He got too excited and I lost hold of the leash.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry wants to snap but he can’t be mad about the dog. He likes animals. It’s just too bad this particular dog had an owner that was an asshole.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Keep a better handle on the leash and it wouldn’t be a problem Tomlinson.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With those words, Harry takes the last few steps to his place, annoyance in every step. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Louis glares at him, muttering curse words as he picks up the leash again and goes to his condo.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And that right there was yet something else that pissed them both off. They lived next door to each other. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Theft</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Eek! My apologies for taking months to update this one. I honestly got sucked into my other stories and let this one get unfairly shuffled to the side. Luckily someone commented on it and reminded me that I still had it in the wings so here's the new chapter! I will be updating this one regularly from now on. Thanks for reading!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Pulling up at Traxx, Harry checks his watch and is relieved that despite the traffic, he’s still 10 minutes early to his lunch with Niall. No official decisions could be made, no contracts could be signed but that didn’t mean they couldn’t casually discuss music. Harry had been around long enough to know the game and how it was played. He leaves his car with the valet and checks in, relieved to find that Niall had not arrived yet. He would have hated to make that kind of a negative impression on the guy by being late to their first solo meeting together. He declines a drink and chooses water instead as he waits for Niall to show up. He doesn’t have to wait for long. Niall shows up only 5 minutes later with a smile on his face and a spring in his step. For his part, Niall is genuinely curious and excited to have these unofficial meetings with the executives from Eroda and Rogue. According to his contract, he couldn’t talk business with them but there was nothing in there that said he couldn’t have meetups with friends. It wasn’t his fault that his new friends just happened to be record label executives from competing music labels.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His first album Flickr had done well despite the shitty promotion Syco had done and the lack of any real airplay. If not for his fanbase, he’d have faded into musical obscurity and been dumped and likely blackballed by the label. It was truly the fans that had propelled him and it was because of them that he had attracted the attention of other labels. Being nominated for a Brit for his song This Town had put some focus on Niall and had forced Cowell and his cronies to really look at the hidden jewel they had in Niall Horan but the damage had been done. The bright eyed naive teen they’d taken from obscurity had grown up and in the five years he’d been with them, he’d learned that Simon and his minions were not to be trusted. He had watched and observed how other labels treated their acts, how they promoted them and that is why he was now torn between Eroda and Rogue. He’d made friends in the industry and many artists and musicians all had nothing but wonderful things to say about Louis Tomlinson and Harry Styles. It was funny that both men were described as honest, loyal, hard-working and ruthless when it came to business. They always acted in the best interest of their artists and labels. That’s what he wanted and though he couldn’t officially choose anyone just yet, he had to admit he was torn. He liked both very much and deciding on one over the other would be difficult.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry stands when he sees Niall and the two men shake hands as they sit. Harry wanted the entire meeting to be friendly and low key for Niall. The last thing he wanted was to cause any undue stress or create drama for Niall when he was still locked in with Syco for a few weeks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So Niall. How have you been?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, you know. Just enjoying some downtime and pretending I’m not working on anything new.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh? Why’s that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Simon has this idea in his head that since I’m under contract with Syco still, anything I write belongs to the label even if I do leave and never record it with them. If I put anything to paper, it’s fair game according to him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the hell? That’s not right and that’s very untrue. Artists write music for years and change labels. The music belongs to the artist and not the label.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah well Simon is talking about buying me out of my own catalogue of music. Granted it’s not much but still. He’s being a proper arse about the whole thing. He’s determined to give me shite every single day because I refuse to resign with him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry heaves out a sigh. There’s so much he wants to say but being out here in L.A., one never knew who was listening and just waiting to pounce and get their 15 minutes of fame. The last thing he needed was someone claiming he was brainwashing or trying to go against Niall’s contract by talking shit about his current label. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry about him Niall. Let’s talk about something else fun yeah? Are you attending the opening of Lux? It’s going to be fantastic and it would be great exposure for you if you attend. We’d love to have you attend as our guest.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>To his credit, Niall manages to look a little embarrassed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uhhh...I am going but ummm...I’m going with Louis Tomlinson? He invited me the other day and well, Simon and Syco don’t give a shit about promoting me and Louis asked me to go as Rogue’s guest so I agree.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Despite the rush of anger he feels towards Louis and the feeling of dread that Niall is meeting with Rogue, Harry gives Niall a calm smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey. there’s no need to feel guilty or embarrassed. That’s the business right? I’ll be there so I’ll make sure to swing by and say hello. I heard it’s going to be fantastic and destined to be the newest hot spot in LA until the next hot spot opens up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Isn’t that the truth. What’s raging today is old news tomorrow right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They continue to have friendly conversation, slipping in details and anecdotes about music and bands in general before their lunch comes to an end. Satisfied that he’s done all he could within the confines of Niall’s ridiculous Syco contract, Harry pays for their lunch and walks Niall outside, still chatting amiably as both of them wait for their cars from the valet. Harry keeps the pleasant smile on his face as he waves Niall off before getting into his own car. He waits until he’s a few blocks away before he dials Liam’s number.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Harry! I’m glad you called!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That damn Louis Tomlinson! He invited Niall to the opening of Lux! Dammit! That was our prime opportunity to really lure him in.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Harry! Listen. You need to come to the office asap.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? Why? What’s wrong?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Legal is on the way. Get here asap and I’ll explain then. It’s bad Harry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shit. I’ll be there in 20.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry didn’t know what was going on but if Liam was on the verge of panic, he knew it couldn’t be good.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Louis and Zayn both looked at the pictures on the gossip site CelebTM. Louis knew a staged pap pic and one that was genuine and unfortunately, this one appeared to be legit. Harry Styles and Niall Horan were papped together just minutes ago at Traxx restaurant in L.A.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shit Zayn. That bastard. I didn’t give him enough credit. He must have found out I’m taking Niall to dinner and to the opening of Lux so the took him to an impromptu lunch at a trendy restaurant where they were sure to be seen. Now the gossip rags are going to be heavily favoring him to sign Niall which can influence Horan’s decision.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Or it can work by making Niall wary of working for a label that attracts so much pap attention. Let’s face it. The artists there are always in the gossip columns because they always set up these ridiculous pap walks so we go for an opposite rep. We show Niall we’re here for the music and not to get our artists constantly hounded by paps and fans while they simple shit like eating and going to the market.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Louis nods thoughtfully. It hadn’t occurred to him to think of things that way. By showcasing Rogue in a completely different light than Eroda, it could work to their advantage if they played it right. They’re both interrupted by the buzzing of Zayn’s office phone. Picking it up, he frowns before hanging up abruptly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on. We need to go.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? Where are we going?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Emergency meeting. Shit. Conference Room A. I’ll meet you. I need to grab some files.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Confused, Louis stares before exiting Zayn’s office. His cell phone goes off with a text message from his assistant alerting him to an emergency meeting. Confused but already wondering what the hell was going on, he hustles to the conference room. It was rare to have a meeting with so many execs and the head of the company as well as several of their lawyers. This can’t be good. Louis goes to take a seat, giving a small murmur of thanks as his assistant enters the room to give him his laptop. Zayn follows with his own laptop and his assistant holding a stack of files. There were many like him who had confused expressions on their faces. Once everyone was seated, the doors to the conference room were closed and the head of Rogue Records makes a gesture. It’s only moments before they’re all on a large scale Zoom conference call with…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Louis leans in and his eyes slightly widen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What the fuck was going on?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>++++++++++++++++++++++++++++</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In the offices of Eroda Entertainment, their execs, legal department and the head of Eroda all sat as the Zoom call went through. He immediately recognized the execs and team of Rogue records. It took only a few seconds for him to lock eyes with Louis before they both turn away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There’s momentary silence before the head of Rogue begins to speak.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ladies and gentleman. Thank you all for being here especially considering this meeting was called without any prior notice. It’s even more unusual that the departments of two different and competing companies are sharing information. With that said, allow me to let my colleague explain what’s going on.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you. It has come to our attention that a former employee of both Eroda Entertainment and Rogue Records, Scooter Braun? Many of you may remember him. He was the one who originally signed Taylor Swift and Demi Lovato when they were with Big Machine. Scooter has been working with an investment firm, the Carlyle group. Together, they have been working behind the scenes in a most underhanded fashion and today we found out that they bought the catalogue that contains Taylor’s first six albums and Demi’s first four. The net worth of these two catalogs combined equal half a billion dollars.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He stays silent as he lets the information sink in. Once the shocking news is absorbed, there’s an immediate outcry from the executives while the lawyers are immediately digging into the contracts and the clauses and the legality of purchase of the catalogs. There’s confusion as to how this happened. Both record heads let the teams talk it out for a moment before the head of Rogue silences them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This affects both our companies for obvious reasons. Scooter Braun has shown himself to be  an intelligent and shrewd businessman but a despicable parasite. We called this meeting because as of right now, our legal teams will be working together to try and untangle this mess and see if we can stop the sale of the catalogs, our pr teams will try to spin this for both companies since it makes us all look like inept fools that we let one of our own steal from underneath our noses and our execs will be working to try and keep things business as usual. Having said that, we’ve decided that some of our execs will work together with Taylor and Demi to promote them, have them record their catalogs again and we will work on re-releasing them. You will figure out the details. To increase positive exposure, come up with ideas for the ladies to be seen together. A united front against him as we wage our own campaign against him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Looking to his counterpart, he gives him a nod to continue.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“For this, we’ve decided that Mr. Styles and Mr. Tomlinson. You’re the logical choices to work together to salvage as much of this as we can. You will both be working together and with the ladies as we deal with the repercussions and aftermath.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Louis is silent, jaw clenched as he hears that he has to work closely now with the one man he hates more than anyone else in the world.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry is not doing any better. His fists clenched in anger but he’s smart enough to not cause a scene or ask for someone else to work with Louis. He can’t and won’t argue with his boss. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As the meeting winds down, everyone moves fast to get started on their respective assignments. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Veronica? Can you call and set up a meeting with Harry Styles please? Today if possible if not tomorrow.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Louis’ assistant moves quickly to get it done. For his part, Louis watches as changes in his schedule are made. Some of his current workload is being shifted to other execs though he’s grateful that Horan is still his but now he has to balance working with Demi as well as Harry and Taylor. Christ his life was complicated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In his own office, Harry gives his own assistant the go ahead to set up a meeting with Louis the next morning. He was tired and truly wasn’t at his best. He wanted to go home, have a glass of wine and have time to think before meeting with Louis. Confident in his plans, he grabs his things and prepares to go home. Things had gone to hell fast at work thanks to that bottom feeder Braun.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The Plan</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>My sincere apologies for the huge delay in updating. With the holidays approaching, I've been overwhelmed with work and rl responsibilities. I hope you enjoy this short but important chapter that sets up what's to come.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Louis is pulling up to his condo, fatigue dogging him as the rest of his day had been bogged down brainstorming ideas, talking to legal and finding out everything he could about Braun, the investment group he was working with and asking Zayn to forward him anything useful from the legal team. He looks over to see an equally exhausted Harry getting out of his car. He doesn’t want to work with Harry any more than Harry wants to work with him but fuck it all, neither of them have a choice. Plus he has so many thoughts circling his head it would be good to get them out to the only person outside of legal and his boss he can talk to about the situation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grumbling only slightly, he gets out of his car and moves quickly to stop Harry from entering his own place.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So we have to work together. I’ve been doing some research and have a few ideas. Instead of waiting until tomorrow, do you wanna get some dinner to go and we can get started cleaning this mess up tonight?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>God that was awkward as fuck and Harry looked as uncomfortable as Louis did but Harry knew Louis wasn’t asking him out on a date. Those days were long gone between them. As Liam had reminded him earlier, he had to do what was in the best interest of Taylor and Eroda. It wasn’t about Harry and Louis.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. Maybe I can go to yours in let’s say an hour? I need to shower and change first.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure. An hour works. Beach Hut Deli ok with you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry cracks the first smile he’s directed towards Louis in years. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. You know what I like.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nodding, Louis moves away and back to his own place to walk Cliff quickly, order dinner to be delivered and shower. He doesn’t acknowledge Harry’s comment even to himself. As far as he was concerned, any history they had at that particular restaurant was history and buried in the past.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cursing himself, Harry enters his home and immediately goes to the second floor balcony and closes his eyes as the salty scent of the beach hits him. He takes deep breaths to keep from panicking and while it helps, he finds no calm. No peace. He rarely does. Not when it comes to Louis anyway. There was so much he wanted to say to him but he knows that even bringing it up to Louis will earn him more contempt than he already gets and though he knows he deserves it, it still stings. Taking another deep breath, he finally turns back and goes to take a shower. He wants a long hot shower and to just curl up on the couch but he can’t. He has work to do. The sooner he can begin to unravel this mess with Louis, the better off he’ll be. At least that’s what he keeps telling himself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Inside his own place, Louis is in his bedroom pulling clothes out to change into and get comfortable. He’s distracted by the sight of Harry out on his balcony and curses himself for standing by his own glass door and watching him. He thanked whatever powers that be that all the glass in his place was protective two-way glass that allowed him to see outside but people couldn’t see into his place. He figured Harry’s was the same since both their beachfront homes had second floor bedrooms with matching balconies overlooking the ocean. He watched as Harry appeared to gasp, taking deep breaths. He couldn’t help the sudden feeling of fear as he watched Harry appear to struggle with a panic attack of some kind. Before he could react, Harry straightened and opened his eyes. Whatever was going on with him seemed to be passing. Once Harry was gone, Louis moved away from his own balcony slider door and cursed himself again for being a fool. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He often would repeat that phrase to himself whenever he saw Harry and would momentarily weaken. Just repeating that was enough to make him get a grip and remind himself that Harry Styles was never to be trusted. His betrayal cut too deep and Louis could never forgive him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Moving to take a shower, he doesn’t linger. He dons comfortable joggers and a shirt with white socks. He doesn’t care to impress Harry. He’s in his own home and he will wear whatever the hell he feels like wearing. It’s only after having several internal arguments with himself that he realizes he’s still dwelling on Harry. Groaning, he picks up his cell phone to order dinner while absently petting Clifford who is sleeping in a patch of sunlight on the kitchen floor. It’s not long after that he hears the doorbell. Opening it, he doesn’t say anything to Harry other than to open the door wider and gesture him in. Both of them were awkward around each other but Louis was determined to keep it to business. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You want anything to drink? I have water, beer, wine…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Beer’s fine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Louis’ in the kitchen when he hears the doorbell go off again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s dinner. Can you get the door please?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry opens the door and chats amiably with the delivery guy, giving him a generous tip since Louis paid ahead of time. When Louis comes out holding two bottles of beer, Harry is holding the large bag with takeout. Louis sets everything on the dining room table and again gestures for Harry to sit. Harry does but also remains silent. Louis silently digs into the bag and hands Harry his super salad with chicken while he digs into his sandwich with fries, grimacing when he sees slices of avocado inside of it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“For fucks sake. I said no avocado.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hearing the familiar rant makes Harry grin, his dimples popping as he tries to keep from laughing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really Louis? You still have a vendetta against avocados?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They’re disgusting Harry. You’re in denial.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry’s eyes widen when he sees Louis grimace as he adds a little salt to the cucumbers on his salad. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? Do you have something against cucumbers too?”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“They’re also disgusting.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Outright laughing now, Harry can only wonder why.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Really Louis? What did a cucumber ever do to you? They don’t really have much flavor. They’re used to enhance food and you can flavor them with whatever you like. They also provide a great crunch and contrast to most foods.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you, defender of disgusting vegetables now? Eat your rabbit food and let me enjoy my sandwich.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>On a whim, Harry spears a spare cucumber and avocado slice while deliberately staring at Louis as he pops them into his mouth making obscene noises.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I bloody hate you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For a brief moment, both of them forget their animosity towards each other and just laugh at Louis’ unnatural hatred of vegetables and Harry’s determination to torture him with said vegetables. For a short moment, it was as if they were friends again but of course, such moments can’t last.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They quickly finish up as they lapse into silence. It’s almost automatic how they both fall into the old routine without realizing it. Harry collects their trash to dump it while Louis opens the slider door to let Cliff back inside. It’s only when Clifford is back inside barking and trying to lick a laughing Harry that it all races back to Louis. Annoyed with himself and with Harry, he clears his throat and gestures for them to sit so they can begin the arduous task of cleaning up the mess left behind by a bottom feeding dreg to the music industry. Harry sobers up quickly and with a last pat, he gently nudges Clifford aside to get his notepad from his work bag. He sits opposite of Louis and holds his pen at the ready.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You said you had some ideas?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. I’m taking Niall to the grand opening of Lux. At first I had the thought of having us both escort him and Taylor and Demi together but that just becomes a clusterfuck of people and pap opportunities. It takes attention from all the artists and the issues we’re facing so I think we should play it this way. I escort Niall as originally planned and keep the focus on him and his exit from Syco but you escort Taylor and Demi. The news will have broken by then of what happened. We can detract the attention from that asshole and have the ladies play off as being good friends who aren’t at all worried about him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That could work with a few things. Taylor and Demi ARE good friends so they won’t be acting and I hate to break it to you because I don’t think anyone has told you yet. My assistant contacted me right when I got here. Braun will also be at the opening of Lux. There’s no way that creep will be able to stay away from the press. He feeds off of the attention and buzz this will generate.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck. No, I hadn’t heard that. So we have to keep Taylor and Demi from murdering him on the spot.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Or find a way to get him escorted out as soon as he arrives. He’s going to taunt them both and cause a scene. He’s one of those who believes all press is good press and this can also hurt Niall. He may decide both our labels are huge risks since this happened.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Goddammit. Shit this is a mess. We also have to make sure Braun goes nowhere near Horan. It’d be just like that slimy bastard to paint himself as the victim of all this and try to get Horan to sign with whatever shady label he’s currently setting himself up with.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rumor is he’s starting his own and he’s trying to find acts to re-record Taylor and Demi’s hits for extra cash. Asshole.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course he is.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As the evening progressed, Louis and Harry managed to discuss the possible scenarios they could face at Lux with their clients, Niall and the bottom feeding Braun. It was nice to stop butting heads and just get along even if it was momentary. Harry knew things were winding down when Louis not so subtly glanced at his phone to check the time twice in the span of a few minutes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m beat. It’s been a long day. We can review all this with PR tomorrow as well as the legal team. If they’re sure with our strategy, we can get the ball rolling.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry doesn’t wait for a reply from Louis. He stands up and packs his notebook away along with his pens and phone. The awkwardness from earlier returns as they both stand there not sure of what else to say. Sighing, Harry lifts his hand out in a small wave as he murmurs his goodbyes to Louis and walks to the door. He’s opening the door before he finally breaks. Turning around, he sees Louis is still standing in the living room, not moving as he watches Harry leave. His face is unreadable.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“For what it’s worth Lou, I’m so sorry. Please know that not a day goes by that I don’t regret what happened and if I could take it all back, I would.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He only watches Louis go pale before he walks out and closes the door behind him. He knows it wasn’t fair or right to have sprung that on Louis but Louis never allowed him to really apologize. He never let Harry speak or gave him the courtesy of hearing him out. Granted if the roles were reversed, Harry probably wouldn’t have done it either. He makes it to his own place and unlocks his door. It’s quiet, the only sound being that of the clock in his living room ticking time away. He’s tired so he showers quickly and crawls into bed. He has the TV on more for background noise than anything. He hates nights like this. Nights when his mind keeps circling back to Louis and giving him flashbacks to their time together. He shifts over to his nightstand and opens the drawer. He moves things around until he finds what he’s looking for. As he pulls it out, he feels the old familiar pang of hurt as he holds the picture frame he’s been holding onto for years. Inside the worn wooden frame is a picture of a younger Harry and Louis with wide smiles on their faces. They’d been so young, in love and had everything going for them until Harry had fucked up. Until he had hurt and betrayed the one person he vowed never to do that to.</span>
</p><p><br/>
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